Why Your Friends Don’t Do Yoga

by Mehtab, Founder
 

You know how yoga has made your life better. But many of your friends and family do not.
And when you tell them they should try yoga, they usually offer an excuse why they can’t or they may even vigorously refuse to even consider it.
So why don’t your friends do yoga? We got the answers!

A recently completed national survey conducted by Yoga Alliance revealed three major reasons why people have never tried yoga:

1. Yoga is religious
2. Only those whom are flexible can practice yoga.
3. Yoga is not really exercise.

MYTH: A majority of Americans (57%) think that yoga requires mantras or chanting that is about religion and one-third of those who do not practice yoga think that yoga is “religious meditation.” This belief prevents both the highly religious and the devoted irreligious from trying out yoga.

TRUTH: People who actually do yoga, by almost 9 to 1 margin, do not see yoga as either religious or compromising their own (or lack of) religious beliefs.

MYTH: A majority of men and nearly 40% of women who do not try yoga say it is because they are not flexible or in “decent enough shape.”

TRUTH:People who do yoga, by a 5 to 1 margin, say you don not need to be flexible to practice yoga. In fact, it is how you begin to become flexible and there are no barriers to starting.

MYTH: Yoga does not have the benefits of real exercise, like running and swimming. (Twice as many men as women believe this.)

TRUTH: Three out of four people who do yoga say that yoga is just as effective exercise as any physical workout and nearly one-fourth of them say that yoga is the most effective exercise workout they have found.

EVERYBODY AGREES: Whether people do yoga or not, a majority of all Americans do agree on the following three aspects about yoga:

1. Yoga is relaxing.
2. Yoga contributes to health and wellness.
3. Yoga can be spiritual or enlightening.

So if everyone believes yoga offers these three amazing things, why aren’t your friends doing yoga?
Because you need to tell them the truth.
The reason most people try yoga is because a friend, co-worker, or family member shares their personal story about what yoga has done for them.

Who cares if you can’t touch your toes, save your soul, or break a sweat? Yoga doesn’t. And neither should your friends.